Gaye's Muzings

May Month 2011

31 May month 2011

I started to write yesterday but just couldn't do it on Memorial Day....so I decided to wait until today...

We had a wonderful weekend of fun, family and new friends....

I guess I will start with Friday evening and our trip to the movies to see "Hangover Part II" or maybe I should interject that we watched "Hangover" on Thursday evening. The second one was similar but certainly expanded its' grossness....it was hysterical and seeing it on a big screen was quite different from watching the first one on the computer. I was still laughing when we got to the car. We then went to visit Lilli Mae and Jack for a while....perfect evening.

Saturday morning we met Jon, Erin, Jack, Lilli, Betty and Laura at the square in Arcata to view the participants in and the beginning of The Kinetic Grand Championship, The Triathlon of the Art World. All of the vehicles were people powered, had to be able to cross sand dunes, travel in water and be propelled for 3 days to the finish yesterday in Ferndale, California. It has been happening for 42 years. It was pretty amazing and we had some great chuckles. After they all got on their way we went to Tomo for sushi, tempura and all sorts of goodies...it was delicious to say the least...thank you, Jonathan...afterwards we went across the street for some to get frozen yogurt. We came home for a while and then went over to the Ranch to do some art with the kiddies. Chet and I took our walk up to the gate and I can hardly impart the beauty of the sky, the ocean, the cows and sheep in the fields, the sound of their power generating windmill and the amazing rainbow that came just after the sky opened and drenched us with rain and hail....we were soaked and got a good laugh as we walked the 1/2 mile down the driveway to the house. Chet got in the car and I said goodbye so we could come home and get warmed up and dry.....what a wonderfully visual day.

Sunday was the day to go and watch the bay part of the race but it was blowing and bed sounded so much better so we listened on the radio. There was a barbeque at the ranch that afternoon so we showered and went to town to see the racers at the Natural Foods Market, took some pictures and headed towards the ranch. We passed many vehicles as they pedaled to their destination for that evening which passed close to the ranch. We met Jon and Erin's lovely neighbors and got to see family again...it was very sweet...we were tired as I think getting cold the evening before took a bit out of us. I actually went to sleep before midnight....

On Monday we went for a walk and then to Ferndale to watch the racers complete their jaunt...they had to go in the water again but only 4 made it before the alternate route was used due to rough water. A great day of fun and frivolity, lots of pictures and a good Mexican dinner. Afterwards we went to Betty (Erin's mom) and Laura's for a nice visit and to see their new digs....just as we left there it started to rain so it was a perfect day.

The only boo-boo that happened was on Sunday when I managed to hit my hand that had 3, week old stitches in it and nicely remove the stitches and open up my incision...Erin to the rescue with butterfly strips and Band-Aids...that was really irritating.........

I hope you all had a spectacular weekend....

30 May month 2011

Memorial Day is a day to feel thanks in our hearts for all who have given their lives to keep us safe....I pause for a moment to feel these feelings.....I also feel deeply for all families who have lost loved ones, relatives and friends....it is a sobering thought.

I cannot write of my weekend at this time...it just doesn't feel right...

My love, pain and gratitude.....to you all....

24 May month 2011

We just got back from a walk and were just seconds away from completing an hour...we set the pedometer on our iPhone and it gives us our steps, a map of where we went, time and distance. Oh my, I am always happy when we are finished...I used to love running when I was younger and have never really enjoyed walking but I am so grateful that I can do it and that my knee isn't acting up very much at all....yessssss....the doctor told me to concentrate on using my thighs to walk and it takes a lot of pressure off of my knee.

I am thankful for what I have as I watch the furor of Mother Nature as she wreaks havoc across Alabama, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas...not to forget the good old Mississippi as it has slowly been moving south and flooding so many places...not even finished yet with Louisiana...my heart goes out to the people who have lost loved ones and their homes, pets; everything. What a tragedy is unfolding in front of my eyes on the t.v. I hope it stops soon. We are usually traveling back to Newfoundland by now but I am glad we are not on our way yet...

TOMORROW....Finally....The impressions for my bridge to be attached to my implants....5 months waiting for this and 2 more weeks until the can be attached...I will be so happy to smile without a gaping space on the side of my mouth...I sure am happy it is the side and not the front..lol...I am glad I have kept my son, Mitchell, well entertained....

Dr. Martey....I'm counting on you for them to hold and Dr. Kime you have the job to match colors...maybe I should have one of them done in pink...haha...what a gas.

We haven't seen the grand kiddies for several days due to colds that they shared with their parents....we miss them....

I haven't written in a while so I will bring you up to date...I have been to the dermatologist 3 times so far and had sun damage burned off and had a lump removed from the top of my right hand...3 stitches.....Jon and Erin had a pig roast barbeque for the people who helped them realize their dream home and I must say it is truly a work of art. There were probably 70 people in attendance and plenty of room for more. The party lasted for 6 hours and it was a really nice bunch of people right down to the lovely lady who took care of the purchase of the 160 acres....real estate agent extraodinaire, Lauren Smith; Erin's sister.

We have seen Pirates of the Caribbean, Thor and Bridesmaids. Pirates and Thor were total eye candy and Bridesmaids was hysterical. There was 1 other couple in the theater and we were all howling; the women more than the men...lol....we have been keeping up on our walks, had the Jeep serviced today but still need rear brakes and a set of tires we will get in Reno, Nevada, while we hopefully will be visiting some special friends.

Next week we have the motorhome serviced and the week after the new slide toppers installed that we ordered 6 months ago...it would have been pretty funny if we had forgotten. When I finish this I will get online and order a kitchen faucet for the cabin in Newfoundland and a bathroom faucet for the house.

I am almost finished with a blanket for a friend in Twillingate and have started another for our friends, Ellen and Adam, who are getting married. We and Brett were supposed to attend the wedding but won't be back on "The Rock" in time :_(.

Everything is great and we hope it is for you, too...

Hugs.....

11 May month 2011

First....Happy 9th Birthday, Jack Weldon Flyer.....

We were all at the ranch for Mother's Day, but for Mitchell, and we missed Jack's birthday dinner tonight....I think there will be a celebration on Saturday with the extended family as it is Erin's birthday on the 13th. We hope Jack had a great day.

The past few days we have been doing things at the ranch...visiting, appreciating the peacefulness that we feel in the new house...even if there is commotion going on...there is peace there; special peace. Chet has been working on the frames for the stained glass windows which may get hung tomorrow or Friday...the large one still has to be repaired from the 2X4 that went through it....Monday evening I went with Jonathan to get the low-line cows into the pasture away from the canyon and I got to feed some of the momma's out of my hands...it is sooo neat to do...I just have to work on my head that keeps rejecting the fact that the cows are being raised for food; the sheep and the pigs....I know it sounds hypocritical as I am not a vegetarian but there is a disconnect when the meat I eat has not been touched by my gaze...I am trying...

Last night Chet and I went to dinner/supper with our new friend William....we had the loveliest evening dining together and sharing stories of our respective lives and families...we had salads, bread with fennel or anise in it, halibut on fresh pan-fried veggies and an amazing mango curry sauce...dessert was creme brulee for the men and I had fresh fruit....delicious food and excellent service. It is always so nice when you meet people that you know are going to have a special place in your life...we chatted for 3 hours and then went on our way. We hope to have repeat performances in the near future.....just like the title of the movie "Happy, Thank You, More Please"....

Today, we had to get up several hours before I like to, so I could get to a doctor appointment at 8:30 and then to pick Brett up at 10:30 to drive 210 miles to the airport in Santa Rosa. Alaska has stopped running its flights to LALA land from Eureka so he would have had to change planes in San Francisco. We were eating our food when Brett called to tell me he was home and we were still in Santa Rosa. It took him 1 1/2 hours to fly and us almost 4 hours to get back...uuuugh.

Jonathan promised us a nice romantic dinner if we would take Brett. We couldn't resist an offer like that and found a lovely Chinese Bistro. We had pot stickers, coconut soup with shrimp, clams and scallops, seared ahi tuna dipped in sesame seeds served on salad with ponzu dressing and pad thai noodles with shrimp and tofu. We sat outside right next to a fountain and small koi pond with a monster koi and some pretty big gold fish...we had the patio to ourselves through most of the meal and had fun with the koi as it sucked on our fingers...what a beautifully romantic setting and absolutely delicious meal...oops...forgot the coconut creme brulee we took with us to enjoy on our way home. Thank you, Jon....

Brett was up north with the family for 3 weeks and we were astounded it went by so fast. It was a pleasant visit all around....Brett got to help Jon a bit with farm work, gathering eggs and to drive the gator a few times...that was a thrill for him. He would walk himself up to the barn which was a good thing and accompany us on our forced marches from the house to the gate at the street and back...9/10ths of a mile according to our pedometer on the iPhone.

On Saturday night, Chet and I have tickets to the women's roller derby and are really looking forward to it. We have been to see them in Portland and couldn't believe how crazy the girls are...skating a concrete, flat track and on occasion landing in the crowd...it would have been something I would have enjoyed when I was younger. I will let you know how it was.

Sunday, Jon and Erin are hosting a party for all of the people that had anything to do with making their dream of a house come true...I think around 100 people are invited. I look forward to seeing the windows I made hanging in their house. I am sporting a nice cut on the end of my finger from the broken glass.

What a gorgeous day it has been and perfect for my sweet Brett to fly home...we will see him in Newfoundland at the end of the summer and he will ferry and drive back to the states with us.

We haven't heard from our friends, WC and Leslie since they were deployed by the Red Cross to Alabama...here is hoping all is well with them....

We are VERY happy...so thank you and more please..... *-)

5 May Month 2011

Crystal clear water running under and above the Earth....sparkling and potable...thirst quenching and filling our bodies with nectar...captured, by man, in wells of all fashions...replenishing, soothing. Metaphorically, we go to those wells to look to be sustained but so often end up going to and returning to the well that is frequently empty; all dried up and filled with nothing to soothe our bodies and souls....the trick...how not to continue that behavior as the well will continue to give only what it has.....

We are being blessed with magnificent weather here in Eureka...just perfect as far as we are concerned...sweat shirts and my Uggs. We have had a few sprinkles on and off but mainly at night so it just washes the air for us.

My stitches fell out where the extra bone was placed and all seems to be healing well...at the end of the month the impressions will be made and sent to the lab for my new bridge...it will be strange chewing on both sides of my mouth after 6 months of using the left side only...Dr. Martey should know how well I have behaved....I did him proud!

Brett is still up here at the ranch as he didn't want to leave on Sunday...the question is how to get him home...it is a long walk....

Mother's day is on the way and Jack's birthday on the 11th...Erin will be celebrating hers, too, on the 13th....lots of festivities.

Chet is outside sanding the frames around the stained glass windows that I made for my house in Pacific Palisades....there was some lacquer on the wood soooo he will do it and then they can be oiled...should look beautiful when they are hung.

Not much else to tell except we are well and happy...we miss our friends in Newfoundland....the following was sent by my friend Goldie Bath and I thought I would share it with you...it is why we love our "home" so much....instead of forwarding it I will share it here.....peace....

NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS

FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Always bring the food. And lots of it.

FRIENDS: Will say 'hello'.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss. More than once.

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Cry with you. And for you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, and just being together.
Then do the dishes before leaving.

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
And most of the time know you better than you do yourself.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' ass that left you.
Then walk beside you in the front of the crowd.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'I'm here!' If you are not home they will wait.

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Are for life. And then some.

FRIENDS: Might ignore this.
NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS: Will forward this to all their NEWFOUNDLAND FRIENDS!

25 April month 2011

Just got out of my new dentist's office, Dr. David Kime, and he is sooo nice along with his staff...very friendly people and he will be making my bridge after some more healing time for my implants. After we finished with Dr. Kime we went to our fav...Golden Harvest for breakfast....then to Dr. William Martey's office to have him put the pieces in my implants to hold the bridge. More Novocain, painlessly administered, to cut the gum and add more cadaver bone so my smile will "be pretty" and screw in the pieces to hold the teeth....not to be redundant....I look like Jack Sparrow....but how bad can that be...Johnny Depp is such eye candy.....just got my antibiotics and popped some codeine and we will go to the movies in a while to keep me still.

Our return trip to Twillingate will be put off for a month as Dr. Martey wants me to wait until the end of May for the impressions to be made...just so the bone is strong enough...I saw the x-rays and where he partially built my sinus up for strength....all so interesting but I have to be well entertained to make the cost of the whole procedure hurt less. We will be lucky to start the return trip at the end of June.. :-( I can't say enough nice things about Dr. Martey...he is the nicest and the best and caring and gentle and, and, and.....

We had a lovely Easter at The Lilli-J Ranch with 4 grandmas, 2 grandpas, 1 uncle, 4 cousins, friends and the sweet family. We ate a delicious meal and then walked from the house up to see the baby lambs hopping and running all over the place...the cows were mooing and the momma and baby pig were doing fine....guinea hens running around, the kids catching frogs, target practice, checking out Lorin's friends piece of property down the street from the ranch that they just purchased...it is hard to figure how many years it has been since anything had been trimmed around the place. We had to duck through a jungle to get to the house and out buildings. It is a turn of the century old growth Redwood house that is in sore need of help. Being around Newfoundland, we can see what is possible to do to homes and know it could be made into a really cute place. The garden is sooooo overgrown but has many trees and shrubs that may be able to be salvaged. A lot of work and TLC....

Now that we have to wait the extra time, there is the thought of possibly going to Oregon for three weeks....have to have the RV serviced, buy tires for the Jeep, a new battery and have the Jeep serviced too...we will have to figure out how much fuel we will be burning first....our money tree stopped producing.

We miss all of our NL friends so much and the house...everything has a way of working out...the weather has been so bad that I don't want to be anywhere near the East any time soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate, Easter, Passover or whatever........peace.

19 April month 2011

We are starting our way north to Jon and Erin's new home and are very excited to see them moved in...Brett is with us and all is well...Chet just got out of his second shower....the first one when he over filled the water tank and it all came shooting back at him....poor baby...he works so hard to get us ready and then has to do all of the driving. I think I am finally out of conflict with myself over driving or not.....NOT won....

We are leaving Malibu a day early as Chet will be inducted into the Elks tomorrow at 6 p.m. It will be a good thing for travel as there is usually always RV parking at the lodges all over the country. We may have to stop keeping such screwy hours, tho....we will see....we like to leave late and drive late.

Three weeks in LALA land was a bit much but we got all of our doctor appointments finished and we passed with flying colors....two new pairs of glasses and the world is now easy to see again...a sweet visit at Mitch and Andrea's last night to say bye bye....

How quickly things change...Chet just had me start the RV so he could check the lights and then had me pull out and around to the office...oh, I did a splendid job....and then he took over. I drove all of 200 yards...Brett is happily sitting in my seat and I am on the couch with Twilly keeping a sharp eye on him to see if he can make it through the first half hour without getting carsick....we have made it 11 minutes, so far....I'm back..he didn't make it any further....poor boy....I have it down to a pretty foolproof operation with my plastic bags and paper towels handy....enough of that.

I picked Brett up this morning and made one last stop at Tommy's Famous Burgers and Chili Cheese Fries to have a picnic before we left....mmmm-mmmm. Tonight we will find a Wal-Mart to spend the night and to pick up a few necessities. I have to see Parenthood, anyhow.

We have been in so much sun since the end of January that heading up to the rain will be a change. We get our seasons all turned around and it does get confusing at times.

Dang it really rattles a lot louder sitting back here in the living room..lol

Even though the ride has felt like we were going through sludge, it turned from very foggy to a sparkling day...we are stopped now so Chet can get some sleep and I can watch my tv shows...we will drive on later.

10 April month 2011

Chet, Brett and I went out for our third day of celebrating my upcoming birthday in a few hours...movies, dinners, walks, sweetness and fun....Brett started it on Friday and we have been on a roll ever since...going to see Arthur on Friday as my birthday gift from Brett, at the Rave theaters with reserved seating and wonderful wide, leather chairs...luxury....then we went to the California Chicken Cafe for Chinese Chicken salads....Saturday, Brett met us at the Santa Monica Promenade and we walked and walked, then had supper and he came and spent the night with us in Malibu. Today, after 11 hours of sleep, we got up and had breakfast before going back to Brett's place. Gabby came home and gave me some beautiful and delicious desserts and a card....mmmmmm....

The 3 of us went to see "Hanna" this afternoon and it was really a good movie. The opening scenes were so magnificent and reminded us so much of our winter in beloved Newfoundland....beauty that amazed me when I feasted my eyes on the ponds, the snow and ice covering the sea. It made me ache to see that magnificence again. Unfortunately, that may not happen as I almost froze to death last winter, when we stayed, and it was the warmest winter in around 75 years.

I know my friends in Newfoundland look for the winter to end but this comes from a lady who only has the slightest recollections of winter in New York before moving to Miami when I was 4 years old. After that I lived at the Pacific ocean for 30 years....seeing the whiteness of winter was a memory I will never forget and the inability to stop looking as we drove to St. John's....oh the sea...the white sea and the islands all white, the stores sitting surrounded by white where the sea would normally be lapping against the stages...oh, oh, oh.....

It has been a good year and thanks to the Powers that be, Chet and I have a clean bill of health once again. We will be leaving Malibu in a week and a couple of days to head up to Jon and Erin's to spend a couple of months to finish up with Dr. Martey and my new dentist I am to meet, Dr Kime. It has been a long time waiting for my implants to heal and become ready to have the rest of the work completed so my bridge can be made and attached. Between that and a 2 month bout with bronchitis all else is well and we are back to walking and hiking again. That is a nice feeling except that our bodies scream

sometimes.

Two minutes until midnight....

and a Happy Birthday to me......

29 March month 2011

We pulled up stakes today and left Phoenix for Malibu. We will go half way today and head in tomorrow for 3 weeks. It is time for our annual doctor visits and I can get my new glasses which I am desperate for....it has been a bad winter for eyeglasses and me....fortunately we were able to get someone to salvage my reading glasses until April. I sure have missed my blended bifocals which were flattened at Jon's ranch...mmmmm, my bad.

We had a great time in and around Phoenix for the past 2 months...it included our time at Havasu and the Winterblast and then the return to Phoenix for the past month. It was going to be close to 90 F/32 C today in Phoenix and that is time for me to head towards the coast. Brett has been with us for a week and we had a great time doing a lot of nothing: TV watching, walking, swimming, going to the movies and of course, eating.

We just stopped at a rest stop and the police had a mobile weigh and inspection station set up for the commercial truckers. It was interesting watching all of the goings on and the two trucks that were moved by us to get the serious once over. I don't want to imply that there would EVER be any racial profiling but one driver was Latino and the other African American...this IS America...the land of the free.....

There is such a stark beauty in the land here with the huge Saguaro Cactus, the Ocotillo, which are leafing and blooming due to some rain, and the miles and miles of mountains with very strange formations. The desert is a beautiful place.....to visit....a far cry from the flora and fauna of Newfoundland.

We are going to stop at a rest area for the night near Desert Center...it is time to get the dish up and record our evening shows.

It was a warm night and a short sleeping one. Chet got up at 3:00 a.m. to head to LALA Land...I had 2 hours of sleep...we headed into town with a whole freeway full of people...getting to Brett's at 6:00 a.m. We went straight to bed for a few more hours of sleep and then unloaded Brett and his things. We stayed until noon and got to see Gabby for a while then we headed to Malibu for our 1:00 p.m. check-in....we mean 1:00 and not before...

I was reading on an app on my iPhone about the RV park here and couldn't believe all of the comments that were less than complimentary about the staff and rules here. What was really funny is the first comment was written by Gay F. from Canada....

It is the 31st now and we took a day for us...it was HOT in town today so we went to the beach...haven't done that in years....it was so much fun....walking in the water...my getting in almost to my waist....watching a pod of whales and a couple of dolphins cavorting in front of us...sweet time....afterwards we went to the grocery store and got some veggies for the dinner to go with our portobello ravioli. It is so pretty out right now; we are watching Grey's Anatomy on the East coast feed which makes it nice...also know who got sent home from American Idol.....it was aaaaaaaaaa....never mind.....tomorrow I get to have a pedicure at my favorite place in Pacific Palisades where I have been going for 19 years.....ooooohhh what a treat.

I got some miraculous news from my friend being treated for colon cancer...the doctor told her it was a miracle that her PET scan showed no cancer...she has been having chemo every other week for the past 7 months...she had her first bout with breast cancer 17 years ago...Gail...you are in white light.....

Live, love and be happy......

22 March month 2011

As I lay in bed this morning, wiggling all over the place, I imagined a muze written from what I thought might be Chet's perspective, living with Gaye....what kept coming to mind was life for our dear friend Tracey with her husband Randy and daughter Tia....people we dearly love.

We are on our way to the airport to get Brett at an hour that we are usually fast asleep....8:45 a.m......we are seeing our first traffic since arriving in Phoenix. It is a good thing there is an HOV Lane as we have a way to go...

When it is time for bed, Chet gets up and goes to bed which is really annoying as he always seems to get there first. Gaye, still finishing her multiple Scrabble games, grumbling about having to take vitamins that should have been taken hours earlier, finishing stitches on a row on the blanket that is in progress, petting a cat or various and sundry other things.....eventually it is up to brush teeth, at least the ones that are there, sorely missing the upper right side which will be put together starting in April if the implants are all healed.

To bed I go, chattering away to a nearly comatose husband who continuously tells me that going to sleep means just exactly that....going to sleep. It is an incomprehensible concept for me, whose mind is going a mile a minute with thoughts that just keep flowing from delight to the morbid, waging wars with others that have no idea that they are at war or just thinking about an incident that perhaps happened that day....or any day. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and the sound of Chet's deep breathing is under way; asleep...I have counted many times. Then there is the lying there trying to figure out how one just lies down and goes to sleep in less than 11 seconds.....tossing, turning, getting the proper head position, wiggling feet, stroking the softness of the sheets, petting the passing cat, playing Solitaire, searching the internet to find the answer to a thought that has just passed through...and on and on it goes, as I listen to the sound asleep breathing next to me. I often wake to wondering how and when I fell asleep. Last night it was cold feet, which is more neurological than anything. Mad wiggling of toes, up and down and circling of feet in both directions seemed to really help...it was amazing and will be experimented with again. All of this to the uninterrupted sleep sounds of Chet next to me.

We arrived at the airport with only one person causing us to hit the brakes as it cut in front of us in the HOV lane. We just saw downtown Phoenix for the first time since arriving here. We zipped right to the airport and through a tunnel that goes under downtown...what a clever idea. The airport was beautiful and there were people there to show us exactly where to go...what a pleasant experience. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and called Brett at 5:00 a.m. to say good morning. Gabby took him to the airport in plenty of time...6:30 and he called when he boarded at 8:10. We met him at 9:40 a.m. and followed him to baggage check and he found his carousel, got his bag, and off we went to breakfast. We went to our favorite bagel place and had a great breakfast then back to the RV and were all sound asleep by 11:30...Jon called on my phone and Brett's at 2:00 p.m. and we all slept right through the calls. Ho hum....guess we were a bit tired....

Back to Chet's perspective of a day..."I'm with a wife who is about 3 years old a good part of the time...unless she is mad and then watch out, whomever is in her way...our conversations going from the silly to the serious, lots of joking and playing, that I have had to temper to not play back too rough as I'm a younger brother who learned early to vigorously defend myself when attacked. My woman, who loves her hair brushed, has an itch on her back that eventually ends up making her head itch. There is some strange wiring there but wiring that is totally adored....a lioness when cornered and a lamb with the softness of kitten fur when feeling safe. I'm amazed at the talent that oozes from her and the innocence of her questions, and answers that are listened to with wide-eyed amazement as the words "My Professor" comes out of her mouth.

Last evening with just one touch of a key on the computer her screen went blank, that on a machine that has been disabled of many of its' functions due to her being digitally challenged. I had to figure out where all of her emails went and restore them. My lady can crash a Mac almost as easily as our XP Dell. I play in a swimming pool with a lady who is as at ease in the water as a cat sprawled out getting its' belly rubbed...she plays with a man who is not particularly at ease in the water after growing up by the hostile waters of the coast of Oregon...our trips through Costco and the things that have been crammed into the Jeep from Pier 1 Imports...my consummate shopper that finds 90% off deals that just can not be "passed up". Watching television or a movie & encircling her with my arms as she sobs, or roaring with laughter together when getting off the couch with feet tangled in strands of yarn being a common occurrence..."

He loves me and I love him. Our life goes on and it is a life where thanks are given to each other on a daily basis...catastrophizing to the maximum is a daily thing for me... warmth, love, compassion...just blinks in a life of this man and wife...

17 March month 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate.....

We have started walking again and tonight we went 2 miles.....that is so exciting as we had worked so darn hard at Amazon and then it all came to a screeching halt with my infected teeth, my new favorite dentist, Dr. Martey, doing my implants, and then recovery ...4 months so far...and a terrible case of bronchitis which ended me up in a pulmonologist's office in Phoenix. All of that kept us from any exercise after 5 weeks of 10 hour shifts of working all night at Amazon.com. I don't know how many miles we walked a shift there...enough to make me cry on more than one occasion. Two miles, yessssssssss.....and more to come.

It has been really hot here...well, hot for me. It has been on the upside of the 80's and even 91 yesterday....but what a beautiful night it is tonight. There was a hot dog and hamburger pot luck here at the park but we decided to not go....it looked nice but they're really not our thing.

We went to a farmer's market late yesterday but there were only a few more than a dozen booths...it was hot out soooo we spent our 10 minutes and left. It gets so confusing as it seems like we are in the middle of summer...NOT....we really like it in Phoenix a lot....this time of year...lol.

Brett will be here in 5 sleeps and will ride back to LALA Land when we leave here. Jon and Erin are starting to move in to their masterpiece but need some clear days to do the bulk of the move. They are very excited. Mitchell and Andrea are doing their thing.

I have been working on a blanket for my friend Bonnie, who is making a magnificent quilt for me....it has been fun putting it together by email. We had chosen the colours and the designs for the flowers for the squares before I left Twillingate. She is working on the border now. I bought the material in Eureka when we were there a year ago.

We had a productive day today. Our day/night window shade over the couch fell apart a while back...I will not admit to when. Yesterday we undid the 3 screws that held it up which put Chet to bed for over an hour as looking up from his back gives him ocular migraines....I finished getting it down and it was not easy. Someone put a diagram on the internet how to repair them so today we tackled and successfully restrung it with 50 lb. test monofilament. It is rehung and tomorrow we have to figure out how to get the tension correct to hold it up when we raise it. We ran out of steam after our walk.

Chet is loving that I am typing, as he is fast into his boxing matches....I watch with major moments of disgust and excitement...I like the cage fighting when it is on....I really feel it is insane for people to box and fight as they lose brain cells...I will always remember Muhammad Ali at a picnic for Brett's school as his child also went there...it was such a shame to see what boxing did to him and this was about 30 years ago.

We go to LALA Land for our physicals and my glasses....I am limping along with my chipped and walked on prescription glasses as my good blended bifocals got driven over at the ranch when we were at Jon's in December....just a couple of more weeks of being especially gentle and the insurance kicks in for new ones....yay....

After 3 weeks in LALA we head up to Eureka and back to Dr. Martey to get my implants ready for the teeth to be made...I am so tired of chewing on my left side...my muscles will get all out of whack..lol. I will meet my new dentist who is going to make the bridge as I never felt comfortable with the dentist I was seeing there....I asked Dr, Martey to pick someone brilliant and as nice as he is...if that is possible.

Have a great few days...I will add a link about wrapping things and people in white light so you can do it for the people and reactors in Japan...oh what a horrible thing....my heart goes out to everyone who is and was involved....all of the positive energy we can send will help tremendously....bless them all..

May the Spirits in the Universe help Japan...we all have to send positive energy....wrap it all in white light....scroll down and follow instructions...

Cosmic Awareness is the force that expressed Itself through Christ, the Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, and other great Avatars who served as 'channels' for Cosmic Consciousness, and who speaks again today as the world begins to enter the New Age of spiritual consciousness and awareness.

11 March month 2011

We are turning into creatures of the night due to the fact that the weather has been on the upside of the 80's and I don't like that....we have a great salt water pool at the park which is so nice and warm that it is hard to swim laps in....we have been staying in during the day and going for great walks in the evenings. The air in the evenings is delicious.

Last night we became glued to the tv just as we were going to bed and finally went to sleep around 3:00 a.m.....what a huge and devastating earthquake in Japan. I have a nephew and niece living in Oahu, Hawaii.....Brett just blocks from Marina del Rey and Jonathan in Eureka, south of Crescent City, Ca where there was some damage from the tsunami. It was pretty scary in the beginning as they talked of where the water was going to hit...Brett ended up going to his brother, Mitchell's at the direction of his brother Jonathan...it is a sweet thing having sons who so love and care for their younger brother...chances of anything happening in the Marina were pretty slim but Brett felt a lot more comfortable going to his brother's house in the "Hills of Beverly" and even got an afternoon at the movies with his dad and Irene who are in town right now.

There was a surge that went up Ballona Creek, which is part of the Los Angeles storm drain system, not too far from Brett's place. One day when Lorin and I were bringing the boat back from a day of fishing, to the marina, we saw a boat up the creek...it was easy to want to turn right before the entrance to the marina... pretty funny....he could say hey "buddies," I took a trip up the storm drain....

We took a ride to Scottsdale this evening to see Javier Bardem in "Biutiful". It was a fantastic and very powerful movie with amazing acting...he certainly deserved to be nominated for an Oscar.

Scottsdale is another "very high rent" area and is so beautiful filled with the spas and resorts....actually, Phoenix is beautiful..we haven't even seen any tall buildings or gotten stuck in any traffic jams. It seems like someone just squashed the city and it spread out in all directions; one area nicer than the next.

We are still enjoying doing not much of anything....particularly not playing bingo...lol...

I had no idea that Japan had so many earthquakes there...had I known that, I probably wouldn't have been so encouraging when Mitchell went there to live when he was a model.

May the families of those lost in the earthquake and tsunami find some peace....

27 February month 2011

We had the sweetest day today...beginning around 11:45 a.m. when we got up....what a great night's sleep we had....guess much needed. Chet made our decaf, as he does everyday, freshly ground beans and all. We decided to go out to brunch as we didn't think we had ever really gone out to a brunch alone...

Dim Sum was the food of choice and we found a restaurant from the apps on our new iPhones...soooo off we went and had a great time choosing goodies from the passing carts. It was all so delicious and we were guessing how much the bill was going to be. We had not a clue how much each plate cost and couldn't read chinese so we guessed it was going to be between 35 and dollars 50 dollars. Chet came back from paying the bill, sat down and rested his cheek on his hand and looked at me...hmmmm...I was a bit perplexed and he said....$18.75, it was $18.75. We got a good chuckle on top of an excellent meal.

We wanted to go for a walk so we pulled over to try out our apps to help find a park. We just happened to be at a really nice industrial park so we decided to walk around it a couple of times. It was so pretty as the plants and trees were all greening and starting to flower. It is amazing what rain does in the desert...it just brings it to life. We took a picture of a pond which was actually a drainage ditch...it was full enough for a few ducks and fish to reside there but I don't imagine that would work as I think all of the water will be gone by tomorrow, if not already.

When we got to the street side of our walk a child about 10 years old was playing with a ball across the street and it rolled into the street. There were several breaks in traffic that were safe enough to get the ball but she would not go after it. We watched as we walked and saw several younger siblings come out of the apartment looking at the ball. Chet went and kicked it over to them and we all waved at each other and off we went for another round around the buildings. The children were so cute and dressed in African garb...as we walked I said to Chet I wanted to go buy them a new soccer ball as theirs was in pretty bad shape and it sounded sort of flat when Chet kicked it. Once again, the iPhone to our rescue and off we were to Wal-Mart!

I, being the consummate shopper, couldn't just walk in and pick up the first ball I found....I had to check them all out and found a beautiful, shiny, bright red ball with black designs...it just sparkled so after testing all of the balls there I picked out the best one of the bunch and got a small hand pump for it, also. What a special feeling it was to buy the ball and off we went to give it to the children. When we got back, we pulled in their parking lot and when they saw us their eyes were so wide they almost popped. I opened the door and they came over and I asked them if they were playing ball earlier...yes was the answer with the sweetest accents and mouths full of bubble gum. I handed them the bag and they all said thank you and went running into their apartment. We left with a bulge in our hearts and were happy we could do the second random act of kindness this month...it is such an amazing feeling...waiting to see if they came out would have ruined the magic of the moment. We started on our way "home" to watch the Oscars and here we sat with a perfect ending to a perfect day...

We spent 3 night's in Prescott, Arizona and it was so pretty there...a cute town with a lot of old buildings and artifacts from the "Old West", art stores, restaurants, saloons, etc. Mitchell and Andrea stayed up there and we came down to Phoenix as it was going to snow and we didn't want to deal with it. We took a spot in the park we stayed at when we were in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago...actually took the spot for a month which is NOT a usual thing for us to do....wow, a commitment here but it is about the same price as 2 weeks so it is a win, win....

We had dinner with some RV friends, Jerry and Sue Little, last night as they are in town , too. This Friday, some dear friends from Portland, will be here for a couple of days and we are really looking forward to seeing them.

I hope we will see Mitchell and Andrea again before they head back to LALA land. We hope they come here as it is so beautiful around here....if not here, maybe we will meet them for a day somewhere near.

It is off to bed now to begin a new day...pleasant dreams to all...

Uh Oh...Chet just found a police scanner app. on the iPhone...I love to listen to them.....so much for night-night.... :)

23 February Month 2011

We are on the road again....finally free of my bronchitis and still with a gaping hole where my teeth used to be...oh how my son Mitchell cringes and giggles when I smile but smile I will....have to call the dentist when we get near an area where there is cell reception...have to find out from Dr. Martey what the time frame is when I go back to see him before my bridge can be made. It is nice to feel human again...that is.....meaning very little exercising since we left our jobs which really gave us some super cardio and walking experience...yes, experience it was and now to start all over again...end of November, driving to California, December, having my dental implants, January, recovery beginning and then getting a massive cold and the beginnings of the stinking bronchitis that hung on until about 6 days ago....that was a looong time.

Mitchell and Andrea joined us Sunday evening at the fireworks...driving from Los Angeles and making it at the exact moment the main fireworks show started....being that the show was delayed and started 15 minutes late....we are now on our way to Prescott, Arizona and will spend some time doing some sightseeing, together, around the area. We were going to go to the Grand Canyon but it is going to be 17 degrees tonight on the way there....not what we want to do. It would have been fun and I would have loved to have shared some photos with all of you. We are driving through country that looks like the back side of the moon right now....miles of lots of nothing except for some pretty mountains that have just appeared on my left. We don't even have cell reception and yet we see motorhomes parked in parks where there is nothing....some people enjoy that but we haven't developed a taste for it and doubt we will.

We were in Phoenix for almost 2 weeks after our adventure in Quartzsite....where I dragged myself through the tent show for the RV'ers and a week or so at "Boomerville", where we meet up with our friends from the road at the yearly gathering. The bronchitis was a repeat performance of 2 years ago and I attended none of the activities, as I felt like crap. From there to Phoenix and eventually to the pulmonoligist and a lot of meds that I had bad reactions to....10 days on prednisone, inhalers, antibiotics and then we left to go to the Colorado River to take it one day at a time to see if I could make it to Winterblast or if we were going to go to Los Angeles, to familiar medical care....

We had a beautiful spot at Cattail Cove State Park right along the Colorado River and stayed for 2 weeks. It was so peaceful and I was able to start walking and taking some small hikes. Being near water is always so soothing to me. The weather was gorgeous except for the rain that came the weekend of the fireworks show. "Mother Nature" took good care of us and the rain seemed to stop just in time for the fireworks and the yearly "Ed" birthday party pot luck, that is held for the Boomers group we belong to. It is really a man named Dwayne whose birthday it is but 2 years ago his wife, Betty, went for a birthday cake and all that was available was one with "Happy Birthday Ed" on it. The lady in the bakery department told Betty that Ed had died and she could have the cake for 1/2 price...now we have an "ED" party every year...it even stopped hailing and raining just as the picnic started.

We would go to the park where the show was and park at 2:30, so we could get a front row spot & we could sit in the car and see the shows...it worked out perfectly as it gets COLD at night and I didn't have to breathe the cold air. We had a lot of hours to read and knit and for playing this new dumb game on our iPhones called "Angry Birds". I call it dumb as it is hard...the birds are shot from a slingshot to kill the pigs that stole their eggs...it is difficult to put it down.... :)

Oh, the new iPhones and the learning curve...I spend a lot of time calling people I have no intention of calling and have a LOT to learn. It is so sensitive, I keep touching things on the screen by accident. I do like my LED flashlight app., tho. It has a light switch on the screen...pretty cute.

Mitch brought the dog in our RV and I think it was the first time Moose actually saw a dog in real life...Chet held Twilly...there was a small bit of hissing and some very puffed up hair on Moose...Twilly just sat in Chet's lap...it was pretty cute and I bet they would be friends within a coupe of days if Lana keeps coming to visit.

Mitch is in his new Mercedes Sprinter Van and he and Andrea stay in it or check in to a motel...it is huge inside and really cozy but not made into a camper. Life is always a trip with Mitchell and some of our fondest memories are when he and Andrea have been with us as we never know what to expect...like we were up til 2:30 a.m. and they were gone to town when we got up at 10:00. Mitch had come in the motorhome to wake us but we heard nothing....soooo he let us know an hour before we had to be out of the park that we were moving on....off we are on an adventure....miles of flat nothing and we just climbed at about 25 to 40 mph to 4,700 feet in about 15 minutes...now, this is beautiful.

I will keep you posted.....

14 November month 2011

First, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.....to you all...

Things are definitely on an upswing in the TAJ MHL.....our motorhome....going on 5 days of feeling progressively better. This is a good thing as I was really getting tired of these 4 walls.

We are at Cattail Cove State Park south of Havasu. For those of you who don't know, that is where they bought and rebuilt the London Bridge....for real...right out here in the middle of nowhere back when they did it. It is where many things take place such as car races, geo-caching, art festivals, music, the Winterblast pyrotechnic convention, which is why we are here, and lots of other things. The weather has been beautiful and it has been such a thrill to get outside. Today, for Valentine's Day, they had an ice cream social and music here at the park....we stayed as long as we could...lol....

We met a nice couple, next door, and had fun going out for Mexican food on Friday night and then to the Desert Bar on Saturday. Yesterday, Chet and I went in to town to an art festival which caused us to sit down, after we left, and start our day over....it was the worst one I have ever been to, with booth after booth of stuff that made me feel sorry for the people that had to pay and tote all of their wares to set it up. We had Mexican food again and then found the Escapee Boomers, dry camping a few miles south of us.

It was fun sitting around the campfire chatting and having some good laughs. We would go stay there but we need the air-conditioning for the cats so they won't cook. Wednesday we will return for a brunch and then the Winterblast festivities begin on Thursday...Sunday we may take another trip to the Desert Bar with the Boomers. The ambiance is so mellow out there and it is a fascinating place.

I hope all of our Newfoundland friends are surviving the snow...glad we stayed last year.... and to our friends and family in the States...you are having some strange weather, too.

3 February month 2011

Today is the day of the new iPhone orders...all of the available pre order phones are gone...next order date is the 10th...lucky we did ours at midnight last night...yeeeeessssss...to be arriving here next Thursday. Yet another "thing" I have to learn how to use...someday...there is hope as I do have a Mac and an iPad...

Yesterday, a fun day...NOT...Jonathan, my middle son, barfing his guts out and covered in hives and his momma going to a pulmonary specialist at the suggestion of my internist in LA...I just can't seem to kick the bronchitis and the exhaustion...soooo, chest x-ray and a bunch of new meds. I did explain my EXTREME sensitivity to meds but the young doc told me I wasn't a youngster anymore and I had to bite the bullet and take my medicine...so I did...my new antibiotic,---used for anthrax and malaria along with bronchitis etc---...within 2 hours I was almost having an out-of-body experience...I was trying to play Scrabble and my body was pulsating....I was FREAKING out...all of the time saying, "I did what I was told to do"....aaahhh yessss. First, 5 mg. of Valium and then more hysteria as my hubby was bundling me up to go to the Emerg.... another 5 mg. of Valium and we are at the hospital....never having taken 10 mg. of Valium, I decided to sit in the waiting room to see if I calmed down...we were there about 45 minutes and I figured I was going to stay in my body and there were too many people there with coughs so we went home....I tried to type but couldn't concentrate, so we sat in bed and read...4 hours after the last Valium, I took one more, as I was still pulsating and finally fell asleep around 2:30. I think I really scared Chet but I was scared, too. I guess the doctor didn't listen too well, to me, when I said I have strange reactions to meds.

Today, I am on a new antibiotic, not as strong as the one yesterday, new nasal spray and a new inhaler....I am a bit jittery but NOTHING like last night. We are still waiting for the x-ray results. My mouth is healing very well and Jonathan is feeling better....didn't even remember speaking with me yesterday.

Mitchell was jonny-on-the-spot as he has bad asthma....he was so supportive. Boy, I sure feel for him having to live this way. It is a terrible thing not to be able to get air.....

I have had a better day and we went out for several hours which was nice. Our water hose was frozen this morning and it is going to freeze again tonight. We are having unusually cold weather for this time of the year, here. Strange weather is happening around the world.

I think it will be an early night tonight as we are really tired.

I hope everyone in Twillingate and on New World Island is enjoying the snow...it was a long time coming.

Thanks, everybody, for your concern.....

28 January month 2011

I am a very lucky person to have a court jester in my palace....it keeps things lighter when the necessity arises...I call on it, and I do often, as laughter is so good for the soul. Being a very visual person, I live in a head that sees everything in pictures and stories. At any given second feelings of glee, fear, love, pain, compassion, war, creativity, resentment, forgiveness, sorrow, gratitude, regret, peace, just to name a few, can flit through my brain in mere seconds. It is a very colorful, very dark, very funny, very bright, very empathic, and sometimes a very difficult place to be, as it is so seldom at rest. Sensitivity abounds...towards other living things and against myself...

I relate thoughts to Chet and ask him if he thinks thoughts like I have related to him, and he tells me he never even could imagine coming up with the things I think about....Ahh to be so uncluttered...…I tire, but I wouldn't trade me for the world, as this is what I have been given, and I certainly experience such a vast myriad of things....the beauty is overwhelming as the pain equally so....

When I woke this morning, I put my foot up in the air and was looking at my shin and my much improved ankle, since our Amazon.com job... realizing it is probably the only place on my body that the skin didn't look old...as a matter of fact it looked pretty good....it is a strange thing to be looking at my skin and remember how my mom's looked as she aged...yowzer...enough...

I have been put on a regimen of cortisone and inhalers for bronchitis...a repeat performance of our trip to Quartzsite 2 years ago. The cortisone just makes me climb out of my skin. I get so jittery and just plain ornery. Fortunately, I found the bottle that had the directions from 2 years ago and have been taking 15 mg. a day instead of the 40 mg. I was told to take the first day...I shudder to think of what would have happened if I had taken the 40 mg. I have very extreme sensitivity to medicines. I will be on a decreasing dose for 15 days. The first night I was still chattering at 2:00 a.m. and poor Chet was about to put a pillow in my mouth. It was pretty funny. At least I am starting to feel better. I have been told by my oral surgeon not to bend over due to my sinuses being so clogged as it puts too much pressure on my mouth...blah, blah, blah.....

Yesterday we went to see The King's Speech...it was profoundly well acted and showed the human side of the monarchy, which is usually not the way the movies depict it. Afterwards, we drove 30 miles to see Rabbit Hole. It is one of those movies that sends me out crying as it takes a while for the despair to sink in. Nicole Kidman is always a pleasure to watch. The next movie we are going to see is Blue Valentine and then we are also going to check the 2011 Fine Art Expo in Scottsdale next week. The pamphlet for it is filled with exquisite examples of art.

We think we are going to stay an extra week here and then go over to the Colorado River to attend the Pyrotechnic Convention held in Lake Havasu. It was so much fun 2 years ago. They were blowing things up that it seemed were really not supposed to be blown up. One example, being, one anvil on top of another with the gunpowder in between them. They were trying to see how high they could make it fly....it was a riot along with being a little insane...

This morning we were watching the replay of the tennis match between Murray and Ferrar...it was great until my husband decides to look up the final score...when I asked him if he peeked at the score on the computer the expression on his face just spelled the winners name...I almost popped him as it took all of the fun out of the end of the semi-finals of The Australian Open. We are going to try and stay up for the women's finals but I don't know if I will make it....I am crashing.

We had a really sweet evening having dinner with WC and Leslie and their 2 grandsons, Jax who is 6 and Joshua who is 2. We ate at a diner in town and then went to their son's house while they babysat and we played dominoes. Tomorrow night we are going to a great Mexican restaurant that we found here 2 years with a huge duck, goose, and swan pond in the middle of it. The kids really get a kick out of it and I must admit, so do I.

I like it here in Phoenix...it just appears to be so clean. We are in a park closer to town, rather than the one we usually stay at, as the full hook-ups are a big draw. We love the Cave Creek Regional Park but it doesn't have sewer connection and I love to run my clothes washer. I think I will go and start a load right now so I will sign off and say good night...

Enjoy your jesters, call on them often.......

20 January Month 2011

Maybe I can start putting together the past few days..starting with Monday last, when we left Malibu. We had an appointment to have a part put on our Norcold refrigerator due to a safety recall. The appointment was scheduled in Burbank at 1:30 p.m. and then were going to meet WC and Leslie at the Salton Sea that evening. They left at 10:30 a.m. and I will tell you about their trip later. It was a power packed day....

We got to Burbank and called to ask if we should unhook the car before trying to get into the repair place. They told us it wasn't necessary so we went into the alley by the repair shop to unhook. The alley had a turn in it and some cars were coming but had to wait for us. I was sitting in my seat and watched something I couldn't believe. Evidently the boat business in front of the RV place had some boats stored in his lot and they were in the way of our getting into the lot.

All of a sudden the man who was going to fix our 'fridge had a psychotic break or was on some very powerful drugs. He went after two of the men in the alley who were in our way and flipped out-how no one got hurt I don't know. Finally, one of the men backed out and the other one was able to get out. We unhooked the Jeep, turned the corner, and started to back the RV in when the guy came and opened the door, with a smile on his face, and told us to get the "f***" out of there and that he wasn't going to do the "f***ing" work. We got out to talk to the people there and to get our Jeep which was around the corner. The guy was at the boat place and what a tussle ensued...it took 4 men to pin him to the wall, arms and legs flying everywhere. It is a family owned business, so someone called his parents to come over. All of the time we were getting the Jeep out of there, he was screaming every profanity I have ever heard and probably more....kidding...there weren't any more. He got away and climbed into his truck, punched it, flew by me and told everyone he was going home for his guns.

Chet pulled out in the RV and I went across the boulevard but couldn't find him...all the time on the phone with the police and everyone telling everyone around there to go inside the buildings. I saw the truck go back to the alley and then saw Chet...we got behind a cinder block wall as the police were arriving...This must have gone on for 20 minutes....the guy left again and the police questioned us...I told them it was an unprovoked incident...the guy even took a swing at his mother who must have been in her 80's....evidently the RV place and the boat place have running battles over the use of the alley...needless to say, this was one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me....so what do the police do????...they start talking to us about motorhoming and living on the road...life is a gas...we got on our way and I just busted up and bawled from the adrenaline and fear..the side of my face where my surgery was done was pounding and wouldn't stop. It took about 2 hours to start to calm down...it came pretty close to one of those things you see every day on tv in LA.

Soooooooo

We hear from WC and Leslie...they had a front tire blowout on their Jeep they were towing and WC saw the rubber flying in his rear view camera. They were on a 6 lane freeway and had to get over, only to find the rubber from the blowout had ruined their radiator and done some nasty damage to their bumper and fender...lucky they did not to have a fire or worse...they had to get the tire changed, so waited 45 minutes for roadside service to come and were going on their way when a trucker came up beside them and signaled for them to get off the road...their gear that disengages the tranny didn't hold and they were pulling tires sideways. They ended up looking up Don-A-Vee Chrysler and Jeep Agency and went there on Martin Luther King Day.

Come on now, one has to make appointments for everything here but they were so nice to help two people in distress. The Service Manager, Eric Westphal, couldn't have been nicer and replaced their radiator and found them a steel rim. Then they had to go and find 2 replacement tires. .....Kudos to Don-A-Vee and Eric Westphal....

The RV place we went to was where WC and Leslie had been the week earlier...all was great for them....the guy did a great job and they even met the mother that almost got popped in the face. It was really freaky to see someone come apart like that...we called to see if he was ok and the father told us he was but sounded as worn out as I felt...I called Norcold and told them what happened and suggested they find a different factory authorized dealer....they were kind enough to give us the name of someone to use here in Quartzsite who had a disconnected phone number...maybe Phoenix...

We got to the Salton Sea several hours before them and spent 2 nights there. Chet and I spent winters there for about 4 years but I swore I would NEVER go back due to the poverty around there and the fact that the owners of the park never even changed the shower curtains. It has great mineral baths but it isn't worth it to me to be in that area just for that...it has been taken over by KOA and is being worked on but it was even more depressing than before...we did have fun taking them around the area to see Salvation Mountain and Slab City, the bird sanctuary and Taco Tuesday at the American Legion Hall...great tacos amongst the most depressing area called Bombay Beach at the shore of the Salton Sea...Google all of the areas above and read the history...it is different...the sea was caused by a break in a levee but is dying due to lack of replenishing water...

We took off on Wednesday for Quartzsite and after some shopping, started up the pass to get here. We always stop for gas just over the Arizona border and have to wait in line on the street to get in to pump fuel...we can't fill where the truckers do as our gas receptacle won't take the gas as quickly as the truck pumps pump...so we wait our turn...until 2 small trucks pull around us and get in line in front of us...needless to say...I had another major adrenaline rush as I had words with the two men who pulled in front of us...thank goodness I don't get clocked in the mouth when I get mad...I stood in front of the lane where we were waiting to go so no one could get in there so we did get our 100 plus gallons of fuel...grrrrrrrr...was my face hurting again...yes....so today I slept and stayed inside so I couldn't get myself into any trouble...

After being put back on antibiotics 8 days ago I have heard from Dr. William Martey's office several times...just to see how I am doing...my mouth is healing in spite of myself...but I am doing what I was told except to avoid any extreme adrenaline rushes...ha ha...perhaps tomorrow I will take myself out of self-imposed exile and go outside...it is very beautiful here and the weather is perfect...we are 4 miles off the road with about 70 other rigs...it is the peace Chet and I need as I don't think we had ever had a chance to recover from Amazon....on Sunday a bunch of us are going near Lake Havasu to the Desert Bar...it is so neat...built out in the middle of nowhere with solar cooked hot dogs, burgers, drinks and a band...only open on the weekends during the winter when the weather permits...it is a kick...try and Google it too. It has a steel chapel facade for weddings and the bathrooms are open air with walls built of huge sheets of steel...can't imagine hauling all of it in there as it is a bit of a trek on gravel....

Our last time here in Quartzsite is when I had the terrible bronchitis that took me to the hospital, first in Eureka. Thinking the desert would be just what I needed we gleefully came here as we had been doing since 04. We lasted 3 days before the clinic, urgent care, and trips to 2 hospitals all in one night....one by ambulance...after I told them I had bronchitis they checked for congestive heart failure and then took blood for blood gas tests and said maybe it was a pulmonary embolism....I kept insisting I had bronchitis...on no...too easy and not enough tests run to make the bill large enough...after checking me in to a room the doctor came by to tell me I had bronchitis....still never got the right meds until I returned to LA to my internist....the best...Dr. Roberta Smith....she listens to me...and so does Dr. Martey....what a gift...

....to be listened to....

Thank you and good night.....

16 January month 2011

I like typing 2011 better than I liked typing 2010...it just feels better to my fingers....my thought for the day...at 12:07 a.m.

Gads, it has been a while since I wrote a muze...we arrived at the Malibu RV Park 11 sleeps ago and have had only 1 partial day to ourselves. It is so wonderful seeing the kids but it is exhausting....also our friends from Texas have been here, too, so we have tried to show them around town a bit.

I am back on antibiotics as something is infected in my oral surgery....uuuugh..

We saw Brett's new apartment and love it....we had a lot of pictures to hang and a little bit of rearranging to do but it is just a lovely setting. We got to meet his roommate, Gabby, and have really good feelings about the situation. She is a counselor who helps Brett out on Sundays. We have wanted him to have a roommate for a long time but knew it would happen when it was time....Gabby was so exceptional when we met over the phone and on Skype.

She did things for Brett that no other person who has helped him had ever done...a good example was driving him to the airport at 4:00 a.m. to send him on his way to us in Newfoundland...I was impressed as no one asked her to do it...she just volunteered. Other things stuck in my mind that she did that were extra caring and helpful so she was asked if she would be interested in rooming with Brett and helping him with scheduling and a few other things. I guess it was supposed to be and they are both off on a new adventure.

We have seen Mitchell several times which has been a real treat as it is not easy to pin him down...he is a dear soul and we have had some great conversations and real hard laughs with him. Tonight, after a deeeelicious dinner/supper at P.F. Chang's that consisted of scallops, lettuce chicken wraps, shrimp, Moo Goo Gai Pan, stir fried eggplant, honey chicken, dumplings, brown and white rice and a wonderful noodle dish, Lo Mein, he took us and WC and Leslie on a ride all through LA. We went from Santa Monica, near the beach, to downtown LA....from the music center, the new Disney building addition to the music center complex, to Chinatown, past the blocks and blocks of homeless, to his building in the downtown area that he changed from a mortuary to artist lofts, through the garment, flower, produce and textile districts, past the Staples Center, the Convention center, all of the civic buildings and much more. It was a clear, beautiful night and a thrill to see all of the lights and the buildings. What a sweet evening we had.

We came back to Malibu and Mitchell had to wind his way back to the Hills of Beverly as the Golden Globes are taking place right down the street from where he lives. I wanted to get this started but have to quit to go to bed as we have a full day tomorrow, starting with brunch and then back to Brett's with WC and Leslie to spend some time before I have to say good bye as we 4 are leaving for the desert on Monday....g'night and more later in the day.....

Well, it is a whole lot of hours later...I have slept the night, gone to brunch, shopping, to Brett's, to dinner/supper and home to watch the Golden Globes...hated saying toodles to Brett but feel so much better that he now has a roommate to talk to....dropped them off after we ate and I felt better seeing them going in to the building together.....may this venture meet with resounding success...

I always look at my computer in the morning and at night...along with many other times if the opportunity presents itself...tonight no laughs as I saw a friend I play Scrabble with died this evening...she went to Jr. High with my 2 older boys. She found out the end of October that she had stage 4 esophogeal cancer...that isn't even 3 1/2 months...it all started with a terrible stomach ache...a trip to the ER and some meds then a trip back to the wards...the big "C" boom...she is gone....DAMN, Xina....I didn't get to say goodbye....

I honor you, sweet lady, with a moment of silence...... 3.-(. .

5 January month 2011

Today was the very first inclination I had to drive this bucket in 2 years, except in and out of my brother's driveway in N. Carolina. I thought about it for several hours and then told Chet I would drive. I was really getting bored and feeling guilty for not spelling him on occasion. He was happy as he dreamt about his nice nap he was going to have. I took the wheel at a rest stop and reviewed all of the bells and whistles. I then called my son, Mitchell, who just passed his Class A drivers license and can now drive 18 wheelers or what ever he wants...we said 10/4 good buddy and I took off. The speed limit was 70 mph but all I could do was 55 except for a few times I almost hit 60. I came up behind a double trailer load of plastic pallets and the guy was going over the middle line way too many times. I was down to about 43 mph so I had to take a deep breath and decide to pass him....I am far from relaxed when I drive, but am a good driver and stay exactly where I am supposed to. I am beside the truck and Chet yells, "honey, honey, get over closer to the yellow line"...the guy was about a foot away from me and then he saw me and moved waaaay over to the right. My heart was flying all the time I was driving, Brett was telling me what a good job I was doing...he is so sweet. Whew...the pleasures of other drivers on the road....

We went up a hill and saw a brake check area, so I pulled in so Chet could have the wheel back...I did it...38 whole minutes...probably 3 too many. Poor Chet never got his nap....but he was able to get from behind the wheel for a while. Oh, it will be a while before I do that again, as we will be in and around Los Angeles and driving to the desert is NOT anyplace I would drive as it is solid truckers.

We will be arriving in Malibu tonight as we decided to give ourselves a break and have a decent night's sleep before we take Brett home in the morning. We will then get to see his new apartment....yippeeee. It is about a half hour in no traffic to Brett's.

We just passed Pismo Beach and what a beautiful sight...it is a beach you can drive on and camp there if you don't mind having sand in everything. I have never been in favor of that and we would stay at the State Park in town and then go down to the beach to drive.

We have 2 1/2 hours to go to get to Malibu....I probably added to that rather significantly...8-/

We have arrived and it is loooonger than 2 1/2 hours....I lived in LA for 33 years and have traveled up and down the coast time and time again. We were heading south and I directed Chet to follow the Coast Highway sign....soooo we ended up on the OLD PCH and traveled along it for 7 miles until we could get back on the freeway. The GPS was trying to send us through the valley and across Malibu Canyon, then north on PCH to the RV Park. We decided to go down the PCH not remembering that we had to pass the park several miles and make a U turn then come back to the park as there is no left turn from PCH into the park. After we started down the PCH, we ended up at a detour sending us back to the valley route, over the canyon, and north to the park arriving at 9:15 p.m. We are all so rattly after over 500 miles in the candominimum...that is a loooong drive but I did do 38 of those minutes of those miles...

It still is a good year!!!!

4 January month 2011

3:00 p.m. and we are on our way South to Malibu...the world of tight bodies, and every kind of plastic surgery imaginable...how ever do I fit in....overweight, no plastic surgery, as I had made the decision to try and age gracefully and leave all of the sags alone...I tried to bargain with Dr. Martey, my oral surgeon, to do my eyes instead of my teeth to no avail....I have such a thing about anesthesia that I don't think I could do it...nor could I even imagine having my face torn away and lifted up by my forehead....aaaaaahhhhhuuuuukkkkkkk...I could catch one of those specials in Costa Rica that my friend's mother sent her on...$600.00...room, meals, and all....she looks great but I am a bit of a skeptic...like when several people suggested I go to Algadonas, Mexico, to get my dental implants....uh, NOOOOO....the RVer's line up at the border to go for all sorts of things from eye surgery to dental work, etc....I won't even have a taco!!! I know they can do your eyes with local injections which is what I would choose if anyone would like to send me to have it done in LA.....someone in LA even uses acupuncture. My birthday is April 11th..... :)

We got off to our usual several hours late start but Brett was buckeled in to MY seat for about and hour and 1/2 before we left...He is looking forward to his new adventure...living with a roommate...he and Chet are all settled in with their big jar of peanut butter filled pretzels, a jar of Pub Mix, and a jar of plain pretzels. I am on the sofa with my feet on the chair across from me trying to type with Moose placing himself in various positions from my shoulders, my arm, on my chest, which is very problematic, due to the fact that I cannot see over him and his side is in my mouth. It is always interesting riding in the living room as I get to see all of the things roll around and some fall on the floor.

Twilly did his usual carsick trick about 10 minutes after we left...that is always fun and I try to be prepared but Moose was lying on my plastic bags and paper towels....oh well...Twilly is like a dishrag asleep in his bed on the chair my feet are on....I must say my feet are happy, as they are housed in my new Christmas Uggs that look just like motorcycle boots...oh was I excited when I saw them sitting on the shelf in the store....it's almost as if they were glowing and calling my name as I knew I would NEVER put my feet in real motorcycle boots again as I am not in to torture...that was for my younger years and how I loved wearing them with my skirts...certainly NOT on a motorcycle.

Moose has finally settled with his head on my left shoulder and is very happy. I had an 11:30 appointment this morning with Dr. William T. Martey to get the okay to leave...I have very explicit instructions about what I can and can not do as I still have a lot of healing to do and besides it just plain hurts when I bend over or walk uphill...gee, maybe that means I can't vacuum for a while longer...lol...I have an appointment to see him again April 21st so he can finish what he has to add to my implants and then send me on my way about 3 weeks later to get my bridge made.

Then we head east and begin our journey to Newfoundland and our amazing home and mostly finished cabin...I think I shall call it "Gaze at the Sea"....it feels good to be moving again; the beauty of the Redwoods and the rivers full to brimming and no rain....see Heidi...it IS still a good year!!

We had dinner at Jack's and my favorite restaurant last night...teppanyaki...where the chef cooks on a grill that we sit around...it is never easy to say goodbye particularly when Lilli Mae looks at me with those beautiful eyes and says "why do you have to leave, grandma"....OUCH...I am trying to make it until April without my blended bifocals and just using my straight readers...they sort of got run over at the Lilli-J Ranch...that hurt a lot....

Thank you, Jon and Erin, for everything...it was splendid as usual...and we will miss you all until we return in April...I just realized I have to change my appointment with Dr. Martey as we have our physicals scheduled on the 19th of April in LA...

Best to you and safe travels for us!!

1 January month 2011

Here we are at the beginning of a new year...the beginning of the eleventh year of the 21st century; a new decade. I used to fantasize about the new century, being a grandparent, and that came true as both of my grandchildren were born in the past decade...their beautiful little selves.....to have Mitchell find some peace and contentment in his life, to see Brett having a room mate which just happened as Gabby moved in on today and will be there to assist with Brett's independence....I had been asking for several years for his counselors to help find him a room mate to no avail.

Gabby started working with Brett and exuded such foresight, insight, and caring that I asked if she would have any interest in sharing an apartment with Brett and helping him with his scheduling, and a few other things he needs help with. It will also give us peace of mind, as we don't live in LA nor does Brett's dad and wife anymore.

I so wanted to find my Chet to marry....someone who would hold my hand when we walked, open the car door for me, adore me, kiss me goodnight every night before we go to sleep...thIs I have missed so much since my mouth surgery....good sweet kisses. I too have seen, as the world has seen, the horrors that have taken place in the past 10 years- man made and the fury of Mother Nature...& cried many tears.

I dreamed of seeing the first African American or female president. I don't want there to be wars. I have had my gall bladder removed, broken my leg and ankle and tore all of the ligaments in my leg and spent 12 weeks off my feet as we prepared to start our adventure of living on the road. I had both hands operated on for carpal tunnel syndrome, slid down a ladder and had an open dislocation of a toe that I almost cut off and was carried to the truck from the motorhome by my son, Jon, to go to the hospital to have it put back in place and stitched.

I have laughed until my sides have hurt and experienced the life that my mother and father lived for 6 years of their lives; living on the road. I have seen the country through my husband's eyes and it is such a pleasure as he had spent most of his life in Oregon and hadn't traveled much.

We traveled to Newfoundland, a place I didn't really know much about until we decided to visit it. We saw the beauty and experienced the kindness of the people and fell in love with a house that called to us as we drove by. We had to leave Twillingate for 3 days to think straight and try and decide what to do about buying the house. Obviously we decided to do it..... We decided we had to bring with us where ever we went, the same openness and hospitality of the Newfoundlanders. It is impossible to go anywhere and not end up in a conversation...we have actually started talking to people in restaurants in our travels in the States....the norm in Newfoundland. We do get some friendly responses.

I told Chet of my dreams of childhood when my family used to go to the beach when we lived in Miami and I would look at the houses and dream of living on the water someday; to have a stream on the property...I now have one and a heart shaped pond that we dug. I loved my dolls and always wanted a dollhouse....I have my collection of dolls and my mannequins and found my dollhouse on the North coast of Newfoundland in a town called Twillingate....I love that word, Twillingate. It just rolls off my tongue so effortlessly. Twillingate, the place we have our stick home as the RV'rs call them. We have the beauty of the North Atlantic which is crystal clear, cold, beautiful, dangerous and the place that holds the Titanic. I have spent years of my life in and on the water in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans but I cannot make myself go out in a boat in Newfoundland as I know the coldness of the water would never let me save Chet or myself if something happened.

I have always been a swimmer, for fun and for competition and teaching babies how to be water safe and adults not to be afraid of the water. I have the utmost respect for the water and how insignificant we are when we are in it. I am still trying to get myself, at least, out in the harbour....we will see...it will be the only way I will ever get to Exploit's Island with Ted, Joanne and Sam or to see Audrey and Owen there. Suck it up Gaye...last year's tragedy in Twillingate did not help with my fear.

We have spent the 1st day of 2011 doing absolutely nothing except watching tv, eating 2 meals and just hanging out....what a lovely way to start the year and as my friend, Heidi, said...it has been a good year so far...lol. We have 2 days left to see Lilli Mae and Jack Weldon Flyer, our grandchildren, who are so very precious and beautiful and who graced me with such a day of sweetness and pleasure when we went to do their Christmas shopping...how they were so polite and careful about how they spent their money. It was a glorious day, one I will always cherish.

I have had all of my "oscopy's" done while wide awake and watched on the screen as they were done...managed all of my surgeries without general anesthesia except my gall bladder...it is great to get up and walk away with no reaction to the meds. I wrote a note on my stomach to my surgeon when I had my gall bladder removed asking him and God to bring me back to my family safely. He really got a kick out of it.

I have just had a relatively major procedure done in my mouth which is slowly on the mend. My very favorite dentist in the world, Dr. David York, of Los Angeles, had an accident and sold his practice to a real gold digger so I have been flying free for several years...I knew for several years I had to have my implants done but just needed a break from the dentist. I have done my time over and over since my first root canal in the 6th grade. I had to establish a relationship with a dentist somewhere so we chose Eureka as we could stay here and have a place to be quiet and recuperate. I was sent to an oral surgeon, as the dentist I went to could not see anything that was causing the recurring abscesses in my mouth for the past 8 months. We even took a job in Coffeyville, Kansas, working the Christmas rush with 500 other RVer's. We made it through 5 weeks of 10 hour shifts, 4 days a week and were starting a 5th day when my teeth started acting up again and I was running fevers with a lot of puffiness in my face. Two trips to emerg and 4 antibiotics later we resigned and took off for California early.

I cannot tell you how we did what we did as it was absolutely excruciating....the pain was unreal and I had to play mind games to get myself through the last shift which ended at 4:00 a.m. and I am talking about body and foot pain. I was changing shoes three times a night...it was to pay for part of my implants but oh well... From the moment I met Dr. William T. Martey, I knew he was the one who was going to do the work....he said he needed to talk to the dentist who sent me there first. I said no as I was paying the bill and I wanted him to do the work. He is a kind, patient and very gentle person. I hit the jackpot with him. I go on Tuesday for my last check up before the 5 month healing period that is necessary before I can have my bridge attached to the implants that are held in with cadaver bone. It has been a strange process as there are still times I think the 4 teeth are still in my mouth. I have to really be careful when I brush my teeth as I, from habit, go to brush as I always have. Here is hoping my visit to Dr. Martey on Tuesday goes well and gives us a pass to go. I also hope all heals well and I will singing his praises when it is time for my implants...lol...I haven't mentioned the other dentist here as I am still not convinced that he is going to be the one who finishes the work...just doesn't feel like he is the one....in my gut. We are driving Brett home and plan on meeting WC and Leslie Earnst in Malibu..it will be good seeing them again. Poor Brett has been sick the whole time he has been here but I do believe he was supposed to be here as I haven't seen him this sick in years and years.

We have only 2 days left to see Jack and Lilli Mae. Sniff....we will miss them and Jon and Erin terribly. They will be starting to move to the Lilli-J Ranch and the fabulous home they are having built...it belongs in a magazine...Erin's supreme art project...their cows, sheep, chickens, guinea hens, and Geraldine the pregnant sow and a windmill to produce electricity...as soon as they get it working correctly...it has been a loooong hard battle to get it in and now to find out it isn't running the way it is supposed to...more to be revealed about the windmill.....160 acres of magnificence 3 miles up from a 180 degree view of the Pacific, the river below and the pasture land...it is spectacular.

We are going to have sunny weather for the next few days which will be so nice...it is raining in Los Angeles now...

I could go on and on about the past year and decade but I will try and condense a bit...I lost my sister, my two old cats lived to the ripe old ages of 17 and 16. We have our 2 young Newfoundland cats that I have held since their births....they are a joy and really funny...far from the greatly domesticated American cats...Twilly and Moose have brought a lot of joy but the hole in my heart still hasn't closed after losing first Freddie, who appeared out of nowhere the morning after my daddy died...I woke to his face in mine as he was asleep on my chest...he came in through the window I used to leave open for my 10 cats. He is buried at the Lilli-J Ranch and got to have 2 burials. Erin told us where to put him and Jon said it wasn't a good place as it was fill dirt that was going to be moved sooooo...need I say more...he is now buried by the pond. Spotty, a year later, died from cancer and we have him buried outside the bedroom window at our home in Twillingate. Sometimes it seems they are still here with us.

I am a very happy lady as I have so much...that is my health, the love from my husband, my children, my Erin and my grandchildren. All of the other things are window dressing which add to the pleasure of life.

I have found and outlet for my creativity in my Fabric Art as knitting is one of the few things one can do while living on the road...it has been a great adventure as I can't read a pattern and only know 3 stitches...it is the mixing of the colors and yarns that makes it so much fun. We had 2 amazing Art Shows in Twillingate and Newfoundland the summer before last. I hope to be able to make some leaded glass windows for the house this summer.

We will be married 10 years in April and hope to take a carriage ride in San Francisco for our anniversary...any big trips will have to be put off as it all will go in to my mouth...and that is NOT fine food!!

Thank you to all of my friends for being such good friends and blessings to Brooke, Gail, and Xina who are fighting the battles of their lives....